BuzzWorthyitems of note
Haley Crum, chair of the Homeless
Empowerment Program’s board of
directors, is proud to announce that
the organization served more than
1,050 individuals in 2019, including
478 veterans and 132 children. Charity
Navigator, the nation’s largest charity
ranking system, has given HEP a fourstar
rating for the 10th consecutive year.
This is an honor bestowed on 2% of
charities evaluated nationwide.
The Jim Rolston Memorial
Professional Development Grant
that honors the late accomplished St.
Petersburg artist and sculptor of the St.
Petersburg Arts Alliance has been
awarded to Gloria Muñoz, a writer who
teaches creative writing at Eckerd College
in St. Petersburg. The $5,000 grant was
established in 2018 to provide financial
assistance to a St. Petersburg artist to
elevate their work to the next level.
Steve Bonner, president of Seminole
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa,
said the casino’s 27 “Best of Gaming”
awards from the readers of Casino
Player Magazine in its annual “Best of
Gaming” issue are a testament to the
professionalism of the casino’s team
members. Among the property’s 27
awards were six first place wins for Best
Table Games, Best Dealers, Best Table
Game Tournaments, Best Reel Slots, Best
Craps and Best Non-Smoking Casino/
Area. The Seminole Hard Rock Tampa
reopened under a new and stringent
“safe and sound” program, which
includes multiple initiatives to keep
guests and team members safe.
Ian Breusch, Timothy Vick and
Hood Craddock of the Tampa Bay
Trust Company recently held “Election
Years and Your Wealth Strategy,” a
virtual presentation that addressed
questions such as “How does the stock
market react to the elections?” and
“What should concern us the most, the
election or COVID?”
Joe Lopano, CEO of Tampa
International Airport, is pleased that the
PHOTO: GRAM/2016 SUNCOAST HOSPICE BALL
66 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
Sarasota Opera Executive Director
Richard Russell and Artistic Director
Victor DeRenzi announced that
Marco Nisticò has been selected to
become the new artistic administrator
of Sarasota Opera. Nisticò has been
the general director of Opera on the
James in Lynchburg, Virginia. He is
well-versed with the workings of the
Sarasota Opera, having first joined the
company in 2008 as a principal artist,
singing the role of Francesco Foscari in
Giuseppe Verdi’s I due Foscari. Born
in Naples, Italy, his singing career as
a baritone has taken him to theaters
around the world. He is seen here as
Count Gil in Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari’s
Susanna’s Secret.
Robby Stahl, son of Kathy and
Bob Stahl of St. Pete Beach,
was among 31 bachelors selected
to compete for the affections of
“Clare” on ABC television’s The
Bachelorette this season. Robby,
who has a background of modeling
acting, writing and producing, is
also assistant vice president of
his family’s Stahl & Associates
Insurance business, which is
headquartered in St. Petersburg
and has offices in Oldsmar, Lakeland
and Longwood. Fortunately for local
bachelorettes, Tampa Bay’s native
son was eliminated early from the
competition.
Lance Rodgers, an award-winning
contemporary artist, who is known for
creating narratives through his use of
realism to transport the viewer on a
visual journey, has been selected to
be the first featured artist at the Left
Bank Bistro in St. Petersburg.
ROD MILLINGTON
GRAM/2016 SUNCOAST HOSPICE BALL